Stay Moving
by Omicron the IceQueen
Summary: It was bound to happen, the symbiote bonded to Eddie Brock has set it's 'eyes' one some one. And it wants her. Eddie is incline to agree, and Venom has a new challenge. Question is, can she like him? ALL of him? NOT A DEAD STORY!
1. prolog: Venom tidbit

**Prolog:**

It had been a nice night, a good date really. Moon could have been full to add to the 'mood' instead of being less then half 'empty' but it still gave off light even in the city. That dim light, as well as what the streetlamp were giving off flooded the otherwise dark living room of an apartment that rested above a small warehouse.

Cassidy shook her head, trying to wrap it around what her date had told her. She had just thought he was a mutant like her and her sister not…not…

"Cassy?"

His voice sounded different, he was worried. About what though? Hah, you know what about, she though and sighed.

"Eddie?" the woman turned back to the taller, well muscled man and streached out her other sense, the part of her that was mutated. Her empathy.

Brock's strong presence was there, and another, something that she had originally thought was his own mutation but now that she knew… Cassidy 'looked' more carefully, below Eddie's emotions to that other side of him. It was similar to human emotion, yet it wasn't. It was, quite actually, alien in shape and 'color.' But despite that she could still distinguish emotions: caution, concerned, hope, anxiety, lust, rage, triumph, abandoned, torn, uncertain, heated, hostile, incensed, indignant, hesitant…

Her eyes had un-focused as she did this, almost absorbed with a strange fascination with the conflicting emotions that some how all blended into one (and that was just one half!) So when Eddie lightly touched her arm she jumped sending a spike of surprise though the building, it affected him partly but that other part of Eddie was quicker to recover and 'came back' at her senses too fast. Cassidy backed up away from the man lifting a hand to her head, wincing.

"We won't hurt you Cassy," Eddie said, pushing back his other, he didn't want to scare her.

_We think it's too late for that..._ the symbiotic alien bonded to Eddie sounded as 'meek' as it ever had been or could be.

Eddie tried not to groan, _what did you do this time?_

Cassidy closed her eyes and turned in a slow cercal, a nervous habit that she had picked up from her mother in her childhood and never seemed to get ride of. Taking a deep breath she stopped, aware that Brock and the other mind inside of him were now behind her.

"Cas--"

She cut him off, "Promise?"

Eddie blinked, in the back of his mind his other did its own version of blinking. Stepping up behind her he rested his hands Cassidy's shoulders, "We promise, _I_ promise, we won't hurt you." He paused and added, "Or Cayce."

She tested, feeling his emotions and was grateful to find sincerity there, even that other presence was backing up what Brock was saying for them both. Taking another deep breath to steady her self as she put one of her own hands on Eddie's she asked, wondering if it was a smart thing to do.

"Can I…May I see your other then?"

"Yes, our other half has been wanting to see you for some time." Eddie squeezed her shoulders reassuringly, "Just remember that we won't hurt you, despite how we look."

"…okay."

She felt him step back, his fingers lingering a moment then something changed. That other thing…alien…symbiote (whatever…), it became more dominant, stronger. Cassidy sucked in her breath, trying to map out what she was picking up in her head, and wondering if Eddie was still there…yes, her was. She could still sense him there, but he was different…

"_Preeeetty._"

Cassidy couldn't help the shiver that ran down her back at the new and very, very, _very_ creepy voice behind her. The voice was humanlike but that was were the similarity seemed to end. Yet there was something…else…about it, _in_ it that stripped away almost all humanity and feeling. An inward-echo of sorts, a reverberation of two voices interweaving together and yet somehow separated at the same time.

As she took in just the voice alone the presence behind her grew, both in a physical sense and something else she couldn't place. The woman swallowed, hard, and gathered her scattering nerves and turned around before she could think to much about what she'd gotten her self into. Cassidy's empathy, wits and just about ever thing else all did a nose dive into the nearest bottomless pit leaving her num and, yes, quite afraid at what she saw.

A hulking black mass that moved fluidly, rippling with near bulging muscles and towering above the stunned woman, she barley cleared its middle. Despite some resemblance, the creature was as much inhuman as it was human. Solid white eyes stared back at her and a tong that was far too long slid through jagged teeth. Eddie Brock had completely disappeared. Only Venom stood in front of Cassidy.

"_Even afraid you're still pretty,_" Venom said taking a step forward, reaching out with a powerful hand, one that had killed so many, he was amused when his hostess rocked back on her heels but couldn't get her mind, or legs, to work properly, "_But you don't need to fear us little one._"

Cassidy tensed and watched the taloned hand near her face, and she learned the hard way that her automatic, empathic ways of defending herself (bombarding her aslant with an overload of emotions) didn't work when she was scared like this, her own fear canceling out her mutation.

With shocking tenderness Venom terraced the back of an ebony talon from the woman's cheek bone to her chin, back up the jaw line and behind her ear; the other claws light brushing her neck so Cassidy twitched at the ticklish sensation. Venom chuckled, a rumbling that came from somewhere deep in his chest and Cassidy could feel the vibration though his hand as he carefully pushed his talons through her hair.

This was beyond the term of 'weird'…

Venom knelt, bringing his head lower to her level and, after pulling his horrendous tong back into his jaws, he pressed his head to Cassidy's. His other hand wrapping around her waist to keep her for running and in place, "_Our other half was right, we won't hurt you our love._"

Somewhere in the far back of Cassidy's mind she was glad her little sister was spending the night with friends and couldn't—

Waitaminuet!

The empath blinked. Did he just say 'our love?'

Love...?

Her empathy snapped back 'on' then and the woman would have fallen over if Venom wasn't still holding her. The symbiote dragged the empath's other sense's complete attention to him so their world narrowed down to just the two, Cassidy and Venom.


	2. Say hi to the McConnell sisters

Chapter one:

The spring sun pored through the windows of an apartment sitting staunchly onto of a small warehouse building, one for a (relatively) tiny chain of coffee houses base in Los Angelus. It wasn't the biggest residence in town, over half of the rooms were stuffed with varies items in storage waiting for this holiday or that special event to roll along. Those rooms and walk ways still (mostly) clear were used for actual daily living; a bathroom with tub and shower, two bed rooms with only one regularly used from sleeping in (the other doubling as both gust room and play room). The last, and largest, room had taken the roles of kitchen, dinning and living room. There were also two staircases, one going down to the inside of the warehouse and the other up to the roof.

The furnishing weren't the most up-to-date in fashion, but they got the job done nicely. A massive, and slightly worn, couch was ageist a wall facing a fair sized T.V. and window that had a spectacular view of the side of the next warehouse over. A smaller, newer, love seat was at an angle, so it faced the T.V. and the kitchen; those who lived there, as well as anyone visiting, tended to fight over this comfortable mini-couch. Some small coffee tables were here and there, no real dinning table, but there was a computer desk with a closed laptop on in that could be use as a table for the two living there.

The kitchen was mostly counter with only a sink breaking it in the middle. A somewhat old, yet well working frigid had long ago taken up residence in the gap between the counter and the door to the roof. The fridge's counter part, the freezer, was smaller and illegally parked under the counter beside a cub board filled with Pop Tarts, Honey Come cereal, cans of different Wall Mart brands of soup, and a ton or two of multiple colored PowerAIDs.

The game room had a twin bed on one side, covered with Land Before Time bed sheets and blankets. A smaller T.V. with a Game Cube hocked up to it was sitting on the flour like the bed. An assorted, semi-neat, pile of games was beside the T.V. threatening to fall over if a nat or a little too much dust settled on it. Other then some controllers spread across the floor, there wasn't anything overly amazing about it. The one other room, though larger, wasn't anymore dazzling about it; but there was a king size bed, it's tan sheets and two brown comforters messed up in the way bedding tends to get after restless sisters have a sleepover and movie night on it. Three dressers half stuffed with clothes for the sisters were shoved to the side. One of the dressers, with another fair size T.V. on it and a X-box beside it, was only used to store what few things the McConnell sisters had left of their deceased parents, mostly their father's old shirts and such.

The older of the two remaining McConnells was an assistant manager in one of Miss Thelma's (the owner of) the five Coffee Places, was all ready up and getting a lunch ready for her younger sister. Cassidy was more leg then anything, not top heavy, she had short light brown hair that was messed up and sticking up every which way, signaling that she had gotten up not to long ago. Probably with in the last five minutes. Green eyes blinked at what little was in the fridge; making a note to go shopping later, Cassidy snagged two things of yogurt, one for her and another for Cayce's lunch.

"Yaaahhhmp…to early…" Cassidy complained yawning, plopping the two small yogurts on the counter she started to hunt around the living room for her sister's lunch pack. Finding it, the woman dropped it beside the food and started to actually getting the luck together.

Five minuets later the top of the luck pack was zipped shut and the whole thing shoved back into the fridge to keep cool. "Six thirty…" she blinked at the clock on the microwave, "…eight is to damn early." she told the wall behind the sink.

"TAG, Sissy!"

Cassidy winced, "Sorry Case'. My wallet is by the computer."

"Five doll-er?" the young girl asked.

"No Sissy. You know the deal, one dollar." Cassidy sighed, wonder why her sister was up this early, "Want eggs for breakfast?"

"Yes, yes please!" Cayce wandered over to the desk and pulled herself up onto the chair before reaching for her sister's wallet. The five year old looked very similar to her sister, light brown hair, long legs (though Cayce needed to grow into hers) just like their mother's and had same sharp emerald eyes of their father. Except Cayce's eyes were somewhat softer and wider since she still had all her innocents.

Claming two dollar bills, Cayce put them on _her_ coffee table. Then she helped her sister by attaching her self to Cassidy's legs tell the young woman picked her up and plunked the girl on the counter.

"Hmmm…" Cassidy made a face, "Good thing I get paid tomorrow, Sissy, we need to shop."

"I help?" the girl looked up from picking out eggshells from a bowl, she still didn't get how her sister cold crake eggs with one hand and not get any shell in the bowl… Cayce gasped as she figured it out. Her sister was magic! That _had_ to be it!

"Yeah, Case, you can help." Cassidy started hunting again, this time for a spatula. As she did so, she mentally added new kitchen stuffs to the ever-growing list of: 'Things-We-Need-To-Get-Next-Paycheck.'

* * *

To say the coffee house was busy would have been a vast understatement. It was near packed, rivaling a can of sardines, and every one wanted they caffeine ten minuets ago!

"Oh my God." Cassidy put down the box she was carrying, "Sissy, go watch a movie in the back, Nick will help you with the player okay?" she started undoing her vest, reveling a yellow tan-top. Brushing her hands on her jeans the woman grabbed up an apron (that said 'Kiss me! I make your caffeine!' like all the other aprons) and washed her hands before starting up the other espresso machine.

"Okay." Cayce pulled off her pink jacket and dragged it and their shared backpack into the back of the store calling out, "Uncle Nick-eee!"

"Cassy, I've said it before I'll say it again." Another young woman, Alex, roughly Cassidy's age at 22, said, "Work your magic woman!"

Alex was half African American and half Jamaican, she wearing the same blue jeans that Cassidy and the other employees had, comfortable sneakers and a white tan top. The female employees had long since learned that tang tops under their aprons was a must, especially in the winter when Miss Thelma insisted that all her java houses a tad too toasty. If the current manager left, Alex would take Cassidy's job when she took over management.

Amber-brown eyes light up as she smiled at her best friend and laughed at the semi-privet joke. Any one else other then the long tern employees, Miss Thelma and a few others, would think that Alex was talking about her friend's skills in this business; but she wasn't.

Cassidy was a mutant.

It wasn't obvious; she looked just like a normal human because her mutation was internal; mostly in her brain. It had developed differently from others since she was about her sister's age, but not so much as true telepaths.

As Cassidy took drink orders she carefully worked her way 'into' the general mood of the building, smoothing it out into a more comfortable atmosphere and the nose level went down a notch or two. The woman was an empath.

Miss Thelma, a pleasantly plump woman who was just considering being old (her words) despite the fact her hair has streaks of silver. She marched down from her office on the second floor when she felt her annoyance at her taxes bleed away.

"Cassy!" Miss Thelma said, "What are you doing here? I thought you where going to do ivory today at the warehouse."

"I'll do it tonight Thelma," Cassidy said with out looking away from what she was doing, "I wanted to spend the morning with Sissy." When she was done making the drink she snagged the next costumer before Alex could. And the costumer was someone she recognized, not a realer but he might be. He was tall with broad shoulders, well muscled (very well muscled indeed!), stood 6'3", had sort cropped reddish blond hair and blue eyes.

Amy, one of the actual waitresses who ran around taking sandwich orders instead of standing behind a coffee maker, giggled and ducked into the back room to alert Nick. A moment latter both the blond and the gay brown haired man peeked behind the door fame and giggled when Miss Thelma chanced them back into work.

Cassidy tried not to stare, grinner she addressed the man as he blinked at the strange behavior, "Large, double sweet, no from, white chocolate latte?"

"Uh…yeah, I mean yes, yeah…" Eddie Brock stared and tried to figure out how the woman new what he wonted.

"Don't fret mister." Alex grinned, "Cassy has a thing for remembering over half of drinks our customers order. That's why she's the assistant manager and I'm not."

"HAH!" Cassidy laughed as Amy zipped by, arms full of plates, "You'll have my job soon, just watch."

The darker colored woman grinned again, "Yeah sure, I'll get it, when you become the Manager." Seeing Eddie's odd expression as she rang up his order she smiled at him, "Don't mind us, we just insane employees."

"You said it!" half of the said employees yelled.

"Damn right I did!"

Eddie chuckled, then looked behind the woman at the door to the back room as a child's voice called out, "TAG Aunty Ally!"

Alex winced then glared at Cassidy, "What are you feeding her? She heard me all the way in the back!"

The empath shrugged, "She's a lot like da' you know."

"Aunty Ally?"

"Yes, yes, I'll give you a dollar latter Cayce, I'm working right now." Alex called back and smiled once again and the 'weee!' that was heard.

"'Tag?'" Brock asked Cassidy, raising an eyebrow.

"T-A-G stands for: 'That Ain't Good!'" the woman replayed, "Every time she hears me or one of the girls swear, we have to give her a dollar." She shook her head, "The more we swear the more money we lose."

"Hmm." Eddie nodded, very aware of his other half's near complete attention on the two women as he was handed his drink. Claiming and hording a small table as his own for a bit he watched the crowd of people, not really staring at the two manning the espresso machines.

The alien symbiote that had bonded to the man had been attracted to this java house for some reason, and had pestered Eddie until he gave in, just to make his other stop. Once inside the noise place he couldn't understand what was so important until the mood suddenly changed. If the symbiote had been in physical control of their body it would have been drooling more them normal. It was still like that when he got up to the counter.

Then that brunette rattled off one of his favorite drinks, at the same time Brock's other subsided into a state that might be called 'wide eyed' wonder. It wasn't until he was sitting that the symbiote shared what it was with him.

Eddie's eyes widen I bit as he turned his attention inward. His other didn't 'see' exactly when they were in the man's body (though it could see through Eddie's eyes if need be), it 'saw' things more from the emotions and 'life force' you could say.

_Preeeety..._ the symbiote focused on the brunette, 'watching' her as she manipulated the emotions around her.

So _that_ was why Brock's other wanted to come in here…it found a mutant it liked. The man looked Cassidy over again; she was cute, not outstandingly beautiful just cute. He liked her eyes, his other noted the long legs and mentally started to drool again.

Ahh, the joys of havinga symbiote...

* * *

"SISSY!" Cayce attached herself to her sister's legs, "I have ride please?" she asked hopefully.

"Okay, okay." Cassidy swung their backpack on and with and feigned grunt of effort she picked up the girl and put settled Cayce on her shoulders, "I think you have to many of uncle Nicky's muffins today."

"I had four." The younger sister held up four figures, proud that she had remembered the number.

"FOUR!" Cassidy whined, "Sissy you're going to brake my back before we get home!"

"Hey McConnell! Wait!"

Both sisters paused, Cassidy turning around, her hands griping Cayce's legs to keep her from falling off, "Yeah?"

One of the night workers trotted up to them holding a white envelope, "Miss Thelma wanted you to have this before you, and I quote, 'stave to death in that old place.'" The teen handed the envelope over.

"Oooo…" Cassidy grinned as she saw her pay check, "Hey Sissy I think we can go to the Mexican place now."

"Yippee!"

The woman winced as her sister had to grab a handful of her hair to stay up right. Thanking the teen, Cassidy started off home, she'd take her sister out tomorrow night. It was getting dark and they had a bit of a walk, having no car to their name yet. The conversion mostly centered on the girl, talking about what she did, saw and learned that day as conversions tended to do when talking with a child. Eventually Cayce had to migrate to her sister's arms, and as they neared the warehouse Cayce, who was resting her head on Cassidy's shoulder with arms wrapped around her neck, spook up after a light doze.

"Sissy?"

"Hmm?"

"That man, there, why is 'e fallowing us?" she asked.

"What?" Cassidy turned partly, seeing a black haired man in an attire of one trying to look like a Goth but is no were near it, "what makes you think he's fallowing us?"

"Saw him fallow us at the funny tree." The girl stated mater-of-factly and looked at her sister as if she should have known this too.

Cassidy frowned looking back again, that was ten minutes ago…when the man realized that she was looking at him he looked away. Having a bad feeling start to form Cassidy stretched out her other sense. The woman sucked in her breath making Cayce sit up, hands gripping her sister's vest to keep from falling over backwards.

"Wha' wrong sissy?" she asked.

"Something." Cassidy glanced back once more as she lengthening her stride, thanking god she had long legs and thus can move faster with out jogging. She didn't like what she was picking up form the man, not one bit. When she saw two more men, similarly dressed, looking smug and exchanging looks with each other and the man be hind her, the woman's bad feeling harden.

They were too close, no one else was around and Cassidy started to gather all the emotions in 'reach,' getting ready to…

"Hey Cassidy!"

All heads turned at the voice and the woman saw her Knight. Though he was missing the shining armor and white horse. However, he did look good in sneakers blue jeans, tan t-shirt and leather jacket.

Eddie Brock trotted across the street and fell into step with the empath, stuffing his hands into his jacket pockets he looked down at her, "I was getting worried about you, you know. Work late?" he asked, watching the other men out of the corner of his eyes. He saw them try what they were doing before.

"Umm…yeah." It took a moment for Cassidy to catch on what he was doing for her. "Sorry to keep you waiting."

Taking, mugging and possibility doing other things to a harmless looking woman and her kid was one thing; but trying that with her when her apparent boyfriend that could not only out weigh all three but made each one look like scrawny wimps was quite another. They exchanged looks again. This time their courage seemed to bleed away and the two in front edged pass the three before dragging the trailer away.

Casting another glace as well as her senses back one more time, Cassidy looked up at the man beside her, feeling his strong presence. But unlike the Goth-wanna-bes, he wasn't threatening, there was just a lot of him.

Mmm…. nice bicep…

Crap! She shouldn't be thinking like that right now!

"Thanks."

"No problem." Eddie smiled, "Mind if I walk you home?"

Cassidy tore her gaze from Brock and looked backwards, "No. I mean yes, that would be fine."

Wide green eyes stared up at Eddie as memories of another man, a man she still missed, flicked though her mind. Cayce blinked and Eddie looked down at the child, not needing his other to tell him the two were related.

"Who're you?" Cayce asked, still wide eyed.

"My name is Eddie, you?"

"Cayce…" suddenly shy, the girl hid her face in Cassidy's shoulder felling her older sister laugh as she did so.

* * *

Queen's notes: Okay, this was a bit of an intro chapter. Say with me please, the Venom we all love and hate will have his dark n' shining moments here soon.

To the reviewers

StormDracona: O.o I updated! I updated! Don't sit on me! And….(blink) ducktape? Well that depends, Storm, I think you already ducktaped me to a Venom muse. lol

Dunno: (love the name btw) I repeat myself: I updated! I updated! Please don't come after me. o.O 'damn good story'? XD thanks, you have no idea how that helped. Well if you keep up the damn good reviews then I shall try to keep the damn good chapters coming out. Deal?

ReahX25: Thank you, and I'm uploading a better-edited prolog tomarrow.

vt102: Again I say: I updated! I updated! n.n Surprises are god, most of the time. Ideas out of the box are really good too, if they're well written I just hope that I did/do/will do a good job with this story.


	3. Mornings are evil, they really are

Chapter two:

_Beeeeeeeep!_

_--s is Jacky Kim and Kevin Bower here for your Six Thirty A.M. News! _

_Yes, and a wake up call to those who use our show to wake up in order to rush to work._

_Hah, hah very funny Kevin. So, what were you saying earlier about the latest sighting of this 'Venom' charter from New York?_

_Well if we're seeing him here in our golden city he's not in New York is he? And it's not so much a 'sighting' but supposed killings._

_More? That's...twenty now?_

_Twenty-three. Three men were found dead in a drug bust last night, another two literally scare out of their minds._

_Why do the police think Venom did this?_

_The backs of dead men's heads where gone...as well as what was inside._

_Oh my god._

_The worst part is that an officer found a child in the back._

_Oh no!_

_The kid is fine from what I here, not a scratch on him, in fact, he was apparently more afraid of the police then what happened earlier._

_The boy's fine? This monster didn't hurt him? That's hard to believe._

_I don't know, considering how the boy was treated, I think Venom did him a favor._

_How can you say that when people were kil—_

WHAM!

Cassidy grabbed her clock radio she just turned off and lifted her head from under the pillow that was over her head. Green eyes squinted at the sickeningly cheerful green numbers before she groaned and dropped her head back into the nest of pillows and comforters intending to stay there with her sister for another three hours at lest. Cayce had come into her older sister's room sometime last night, scared that the monster in her closet wasn't going to stay in the closet any longer. Fortunately, for her, Cassidy had been too tiered to do more then grunt and scoot over.

Now both sisters were burrowed deep underneath their blankets, desperately clinging to sleep as best as they could. Cayce seemed to be having more luck then her sister, who was just about to nod off again then the radio came back on.

Groaning again, Cassidy fought to get free of the blankets and her sister, who was dead to the world, both were clinging to her. Finally getting disentangled, and evening her sister's ability to sleep like a rock, the empath managed to turn off the annoying thing that was keeping her awake. Flopped down on her back, she tried vainly to go back to sleep.

It was no use, she was up and couldn't go back to sleep.

Growling at the radio, Cassidy slipped out of her bed and, after making sure her little sister was still out (_'How come she can sleep and I can't?'_) and made her way to the bathroom.

"Ahhhhh….better, muuuuch better."

Cassidy stretched as she came out of her shower into thick fog like steam. Hmm…maybe she used too much hot water… Oh well. Grabbing a towel she opened the bathroom door (cold air!) and scuttled to her room, dripping water all over the floor, and to clean jeans, gray t-shirt and her dad's old dark green sweeter.

Making a note to do laundry too, Cassidy started on a shopping list.

* * *

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­_Eeee, Eeee!_

Thump!

Silence. Blessed silence….

_Eeeee!_

A groan is heard from somewhere in the dark room.

_Good morning all! This is Jacky Kim and Kevin Bower here for your Six Thirty A.M. News! _

_Yes, and a wake up call to those who use our show to wake up in order to rush to work._

Eddie made a face and tried ignoring the talk show hosts. Maybe the voices would go away. No such luck. The man sighed, in the back of his mind his other made a rude comment that Brock would have snickered at any other time of the day. It was too early, why the hell did her set his alarm again?

-- _in our golden city he's not in New York is he?_

Of course he wasn't in New York any more, why should he stay there? Just because they didn't like Spiderman, really didn't like him, okay, okay. Hated his guts, didn't mean they should stay in the big apple and plot revenge 24-7.

Sheeze…some people.

_Twenty-three. Three men were found dead in a drug bust last night, another two literally scare out of their minds._

More like thirty-four, Eddie thought, half heartily trying to block out the radio with a pillow.

_The backs of dead men's heads where gone...as well as what was inside._

_Oh my god._

Yeeesss….pray to your god that we don't fined you and 'tell' you just how mush we dislike your little morning show…

……

Okay, that was the symbiote talking.

_The worst part is that an officer found a child in the back._

_Oh no!_

Oh that's right, he remembered him. Poor kid was trapped there. And, he was the only one at that place not to pass out or open fire at him.

_The boy's fine? This monster didn't hurt him? That's hard to believe._

HAH!

They did good by the kid last night. Especially taking into account what those men were doing to him.

_I don't know, considering how the boy was treated, I think Venom did him a favor._

See?

_-- people were killed—_

…Duh. They weren't called the '_lethal_ protector' for nothing!

Eddie leaned over and pulled the radio's cored out of the wall, smiling when the woman's voice wrapped before going silent.

"Take that." He muttered before obliging his other when it demanded more rest. Brock was just about asleep when his other remembered, and reminded him why they had to get up so early. Groaning again Eddie lifted his right arm and slacked his face.

Oh, right. He had a coffee date at seven thirty.

Eddie cracked open an eye, what time was it again?

_Six thirty something,_ His symbiote helpfully provided.

Crap! It's going to take him almost forty-five minutes to get there!

_Heh,_ the symbiote snickered in the back of Eddie's mind and he struggled to get up and to the shower. There was a razor with his name on it in the bathroom…

* * *

She was there, Eddie let out a silent breathe of relief. Okay so he was ten minutes late (what? There was a mugger that needed to be scared strait! …to bad that woman got scared out of her mind too….oops…) but at lest he WAS here, and so was she!

Both Cassidy and Cayce were sitting at a table, one with a mocha and the other with a kiwi Italian soda and a workbook. The older of the two sisters was sitting sideways so the younger one could have plenty of room to sit in her lap and kick her little legs under the table to her heart's content. Cayce had a red coloring pencil in her left hand and was drawing something with the utmost care, chattering to her sister about everything that happened to them this week.

The ex-reporter walked up behind them, but before he could say anything the little girl changed subjects on a heartbeat.

"Hey Sissy?"

"Hmm?"

"When can we see da?"

Cassidy winced and was glad her sister couldn't see her face, "I don't know Case."

"Can we see him and mom soon?" the girl twisted around and her sister managed to smile.

"Sure, we can bring them flowers too."

"Mommy like lils?"

"Lilies." Cassidy corrected, "And we can."

"Yay!"

Something tugged at the back of her mind and the empath blinked, turning in her seat as far as she could Cassidy saw Brock and smiled, "Hey, you made it."

Eddie found himself smiling back, "Of course I did, this seat taken?" he pulled out a chair beside the two.

"Hiiiiiiiii!" Cayce waved.

"Hey kiddo." Eddie ruffled the girl's heir as he sat down

Fighting to keep her sister relatively in place as she squirmed Cassidy shook her head, "Take it, just watch out for the sneaker missiles under there."

"I will." Brock said angling his legs out of range, "Oh, thanks." He added when a cup of coffee was nudged over to him. "What are you two doing today?"

"We go to Wall Mart!" Cayce decaled and was hushed by her sister.

"No yelling inside Sissy." The empath clamped a hand over her sister's mouth. "Yesterday was payday and we don't have much back at the 'house, so we're going to make a few trips to the store."

"Trips?" Eddie asked taking a sip.

"Yeah…"

Cayce pulled the hand off and said, "No car."

The older mutant rolled her eyes as Eddie quirked an eyebrow, "Sissy's right. Fortunately the store isn't that far from the warehouse, so we make a couple trips, have lunch somewhere and if we need anything more then we go back or some other place."

"Can you help?" Cayce boldly asked, "The bags are _heavy_…" okay, maybe not so bold.

"Sissy!"

"No, no, it's okay." Brock said interrupting the scolding before it could really start.

"We couldn't ask-"

"I just did Sissy."

Cassidy face-palmed as Eddie laughed, "It's really okay." he said, "I don't mind Cassy. I honestly don't have anything to do today."

"You sure?" She looked like she wanted the extra help but wasn't sure if it was okay to ask.

"Yeah, don't worry."

* * *

"He asked you out!" Alex grinned over at her best friend. Both she and Cassidy were working in the back after hours, getting ready for an up-coming event; some kind of race. "PLEASE tell me you said yes! It's been waaaaay too long since you've been out with any one."

"It hasn't been that long!" the mutant protested, "Nick and I went to the movies a few weeks ago."

"I don't count Cassy because I'm gay and you know that." The young man said as he walked by with a box of fliers.

"HAH!" Alex laughed, "And besides, Case' was with you two."

"Ahhrrr…" Cassidy hung her head in defeat.

"Well?"

"Yes, I said yes, okay? Happy?"

Nick and Alex cheered. "It's about TIME!" they said together and the empath rolled her eyes. After a few hours, when all was done and locked up they three ways good bye going to their houses and apartments respectively.

"Walk you home?" a voice asked from the side.

Cassidy, who was thinking about her sister's sleep over, turned and smiled, "My own personal bodyguard? Hell yeah. How are you doing Eddie?"

"Good, little board, but good." Brock said falling into step with the woman, pointedly not making body contact.

"That's good."

"Yep." Eddie glanced ahead and frowned, "It's getting dark, you always work this late?"

Cassidy shruged, "Sometimes, when I don't have my sister around."

"Ever take a cab?"

"Pisht! With how much they charge now a days? Give me a bus insted!"

_We would give you more then that..._

Brock winced and tried to ignor his other side as best as he could. Movment caught his eye then and he looked then narrowed his eyes as he saw some men that did not look like upstanding LA-ers.

"Something wrong?" The empath asked looking up.

"Don't know."

His symbiote hissed in the back of his mind.


	4. Ouchies killer hangover

**Chapter three:**

_Brock winced and tried to ignore his other side as best as he could. Movement caught his eye then and he looked then narrowed his eyes as he saw some men that did not look like upstanding LA-ers._

_"Something wrong?" The empath asked looking up._

_"Don't know."_

_His symbiote hissed in the back of his mind as cool darkness started forming at the edges._

Eddie blinked under the symbiote's protective mask, slowly coming back to awareness. What happened? He must have blacked out...but he hadn't done that in some time. The last time was when his symbiote completely took over...

Hey, wait a minute!

Brock's other avoided his prodding question, _what did you do now?_ It was hiding something from him, and not very well as it might normally do.

He was coming back to both his body and mind, aware that he wasn't on the street and the coolness that surrounded him told him that the symbiote was out.

"We thought we were over the body-snatching thing by now." Venom grumbled in Eddie's voice as he looked around to see where he was. He nearly fell off the roof he was on when he looked down, realizing that he was holding something. Or someone.

_What the #!!_ Eddie demanded inwardly as he carefully shifted his hold on the unconscious woman, mindful of his own claws.

"_We saved her…_" Venom spook up again, this time in his more 'normal' voice, not in the least bit concerned that it sounded like his was having a conversation with himself. Well, it was true in a way, with two minds sharing the same body things like this tended to happen.

_Oh boy..._

Venom shifted, wrapping a tendril around Cassidy's knees, freeing one of his hands. He brushed the backs of his talons over her cheek, "_Pretty..._"

In the back of his mind Bock was yelling that it might be a bad idea to start drooling.

………

Save it for later god damn it!!

"W_e can wait for this._" Venom said softly, "_But not too long. You will be ours, our love. We promise that._"

* * *

"Oowww…my head…"

Cassidy winced as she slowly woke up, lifting a hand to her throbbing head. It hurt in more then one way. The woman could feel her empathy flicking every which way. It wasn't focusing on any one thing. Scattered 'colors' were flashing in her mind's eye, representing the emotions she was picking up from people outside the building.

The mutant cringed and lifted both hands to her head as too many alien emotions from the strangers outside bombarded her unguarded mind.

The said thing was that she knew why it was happening, this wasn't the first time Cassidy been through this.

"Hangover…" the woman whined to herself half curling up on her couch.

"I bet, you where drunker then we were back at the College New Years party."

"Not s'load Ally…" Cassidy peeked out from under an arm and winced again, "Too bright…"

"Heh, mutant you may be but brave you are not." Alex said as she turned out the living room lights. Picking up a cup of coffee she walked back to her friend.

"Bugger off." Cassidy said lifting a hand to give the other woman and the world at large the one finger salute.

"I got coffee." The human said waving the cup near her friend.

"……gimme."

"Sit up."

"_Blah._" Carefully, and with some help, Cassidy sat up and leaned back. She sighed as Alex sat beside her, the empath using her friend as an anchor to reestablish her personal empathy shields.

"Remember anything this time?" Alex asked handing the cup over.

"Nee-ah." was the intelligent reply from the other woman. Thanks to her mutation Cassidy could remember little to nothing when alcohol was in her system.

"Now, you see, this is why you go with me or Nick when you go drinking."

"I don't think I was drinking…"

"Then why the hangover Cassy?"

"I don't know." Cassidy slowly shook her head from one side to another before taking a drink. "Maybe…"

"Maybe what?" Alex asked. She paused when she saw her friend's look, "Oh. You're thinking you had an overload aren't you sister."

"…yeah. I'm recovering a lot faster, but I don't know what triggered it." The empath blinked and looked up, "Wait, how long was I out of it this time?"

"Almost two days--"

"Oh my God! Sissy!"

"Ahh! Cassy! It's okay! It's okay, she's with Nicky!" Alex pounced on the other woman before she could jump up. "When Jack called me and I found out that you were gah-gah I had Nick pick her up, she's at his house now."

"_Thank you._" Cassidy relaxed back into the couch and once again started on rebuilding her mental shields.

"Take your time sister, the last thing I need is for you to wig-out on me when we pick up your sister."

"Weeee…you try doing this and _you_ tell _me_ how easy it is."

* * *

"Hey Nicky!"

"Hi girls!"

"Where's my sister?"

"SISSY!"

"Ah!"

_Thump._

"She's happy to see you, isn't she?"

Cassidy shifted her sister and flipped Alex off from where she had been knocked over by Cayce.

"Bugger off Ally."

"You first Cassy." Alex grinned and helped both up.

"I missed you Sissy! Are you okay? Aunty Ally said you were sick! Are you okay now? Did you eat soup? 'Member that's what Mommy said you should always eat when you are sick." Cayce spook at a million miles a minute as she demanded to know about her elder sister's health.

Both of the older women looked at one another and rolled their eyes before Cassidy started to reassure her sister as she stood up with the girl in her arms.

"Yes Sissy I remember what Mommy said and had lots of soup," It was more like lots of coffee but the mutant left that out, "I'm fine now, Aunty Ally helped me get better."

"You sure?" Cayce asked putting her small hand to Cassidy's forehead. She really didn't under stand just yet _why_ people do it, but they did it to sick people so it must be done for a good reason. Maybe it helped them get better!

"Yes I'm all good now." Cassidy hugged her sister and then looked over her head at her friend, "Hey thanks for watching her Nick, you're a total life saver."

"Eh," he shrugged, "I'm not a candy, but you're welcome Cassy."

"Oh you dork!" Alex took a playful swat at the young man who dances out of the way.

"Just lay off the 'chough syrup' Cassidy!" Nick laughed.

"I wasn't…" Cassidy started but stopped herself from saying 'drunk' around her little sister. Cayce already thought she had been sick and didn't need to know what really happened, that her big sister had lost control of her mutation.

"Come on lets go get some pizza for dinner." Alex intervened before any questions were asked, "Sound good Cayce?"

"Yeah! Ho-i-….d?" the young girl paused trying to remember the restraint the four normally went to for pizza.

"Ho-I-Des." The older three said, Nick helping Cassidy back to her feet.

"Sissy?" Cayce looked up at her older sister after she was put back on her own feet.

"Yeah Cayce?" Cassidy looked down, grasping the girl's hand as the four started off.

"Can we go to Mexican tomorrow?"

"How about I make tacos instead?"

"Okay." Cayce beamed.

"Ooo…can we come?" Nick poked the empath, grinning at Alex who grinned back.

"Yeah, can we Sissy?" The dark woman laughed.

"Arg…Fine but you're bringing half the food."

"Deal."

"Done."

* * *

He blended with the shadows as if he were night itself come alive. He slid so seamlessly along the streets, allies and roof tops of LA that no one noticed him. No one saw behind the living darkness, nor the man under it.

He was a being that some called a predator and others saw as protector.

Venom growled softly as he watched two people, a young woman and kid sister walk home. He shadowed them, making sure not to get too closes, for the empath would know he was there before he wanted her to.

But he still fallowed, making sure of there safety. Then waiting for an hour a few building away from the modified, livable, where-house until her was sure nothing would happen before going to stock the streets.

* * *

Queen's note: Okay, please don't kill me! I'm sorry it's been so frigging long but writer's block hit. Hard. I'll try and get the next chapter out as soon as I can, don't' know when that'll be buy hey, I haven't given up on this story! IT'S NOT DEAD YET! XD 


	5. House rules

**Chapter four:**

House rules.

Eddie was okay with them as he dozed in the king sized bed, both providing and receiving extra warmth from two other forms. The broad shoulder man yawned widely and opened one eye too see if Cayce was asleep like her older sister.

The girl was.

Brock blinked a few times and carefully reached for the remotes and turned off both the television and the old VHS player that had been playing Lady and the Tramp. Cayce had picked the last movie, it was okay though. Cassidy had fallen asleep half way through, using Eddie's arm as a pillow since he had stolen hers.

Both Eddie and Cassidy were in sweats and t-shirts, the house rules in full affect since the younger of the two McConnell sisters was present. Cayce herself was in an over sized t-shirt that use to belong to her father, she had a light blanket over her as well as she stole any and all heat she could from Brock. But that was okay, he could steal Cassidy's heat.

The man tossed the remotes at the end of the bed and used his foot to nudge them off where they fell to the ground with a _thump_, _thump_. Eddie relaxed and started to drift off again. At one point in the night he blinked sleepily but Cayce was only coming back from going to the bathroom, she crawled back and promptly flopped down and wrapped her little arms around Brock's left. He's other made a mental sound. It was only a complaint of wanting to sleep and Eddie was more then happy to do so.

Cassidy yawned widely as she stretched out her legs and arms, tensing slightly before relaxing. She blinked a few times before rolling over and sliding out of her bed. The woman smiled as she saw the other two sleeping on, Eddie was still on his back with her sister attached to his arm.

Cute.

Wait, they still got to sleep in.

Buggers. . .

The empathy shook her head as she stumble into the doorframe, correcting her path she headed to the bathroom and shower. The water was hot and nice. Clean now, Cassidy pulled on the set of cloths she left in there last night. The woman came back into the kitchen more awake them she had been a half an hour ago.

"Coffee. . ."

The coffee pot was attacked and after the big red can in the cabinet was robbed of several scoops of ground java beans, Cassidy was hunting for her favorite mug.

Both Brock and her sister slept on.

"Why can't I ever sleep in?" The empath complained as she sat on a couch and turned the early morning news on, mindful to keep the volume down, as she waited for the coffee maker to do its job.

Some punks had been racing their cars last night, and thus had an accident. Some person in Washington DC came on for some odd minutes complaining about mutants.

"Booo." Was Cassidy's opinion of the man. She smiled as one of the spokespersons for mutants (Jean something-or-another) put the narrow minded guy in his place. Brownie points to mutants!

The weather report was next, it was going to be sunning and hot (nothing new) for the week and part of the next. After that Cassidy dozed lightly until the coffeemaker dinged.

When she refocused on the news the two anchor men where talking about a far more local thing. That dark creature/mutant/alien thing…person…

Venom.

Cassidy yawned at the men, not really concerned in the least about this Venom person. From what she understood he normally attacked muggers, thieves and rapists. NOT single (more or less at the moment) coffee shop managers who were trying to take care of their little sisters since their parents died.

Anyways this Venom seemed to like gallivanting around the city at night, and Cassidy was rarely our past nine-thirty or ten now a days. Besides, the chances of her meeting it (him?) were very slim.

"I have a leach." Eddie said coming into the kitchen/dinning/living room, the small form of Cayce was in his arms as she groggily wrapped her own arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Welcome to the family." Cassidy smiled, moving her feet to let Brock sit down. "Here," she added passing her half full but still hot mug of coffee to the man.

"Mmmm. . ."

"You want to cook?"

"I don't really cook, I burn stuff if I try."

"Good."

Eddie looked over at the woman with a questioning expression.

"I don't want to cook, so we're going to I-Hop. Want to come?" Cassidy explained.

"We'd love to." Brock said before tilting his head back, unaware he had slipped up a bit, "After I wake up and go to the nearest surgeon to remove this thermal vampire."

Cassidy laughed, not seeming to have notice that Eddie had referred to himself as 'we.' If she had she didn't say anything, or just simply chucked in up of per-morning caffeine grammar (or lack there of).

* * *

"So how long have you been going out?"

"I donna know, three months?"

"House rules been broken yet?"

"Oh HELL no!"

"TAG sissy!"

"….frig."

"Snrt."

"Oh shut up Ally."

"Hehehehe. . ."

"Sissy?"

"Later Cayce I promise."

"Anyways -here pass me that thesaurus- hay you at lest bent the house rules?"

"Maybe."

"Oh?"

"Well, yeah, until sissy woke up. Is that my gel pen?"

"No, yours is over there, this is mine."

"Oh." Cassidy reached for her new gel pen before turning back to helping Alex with her paper for English 101 class.

"Does he know?" the dark skinned woman asked, paging through the thesaurus. The empath paused, knowing what her best friend was talking about. Alex looked up and put her book down, "He doesn't know yet?"

"Well," Cassidy shifted, "I didn't say anything and Sissy doesn't know, she's to young to completely understand yet."

"But?" Alex fished, know there was a 'but' coming.

"But. . . I think he may know, or have the idea."

"Is that what your super power tells you?"

Cassidy frowned, "Its weird Ally, it's like I can sense almost two minds, but at the same time the 'two' are so much alike that it's not REALLY two minds."

"Is it possible he's one too?" Alex asked and her friend looked up blinking.

"Oh, I didn't think of that. . ."

The other woman laughed, "I guess it's to bad you can't read minds!"

"Oh god no!" Cassidy tilted her head back and looked at the ceiling in expiration, "It's hard enough with emotions! I don't need 'true' telepathic overload!"

"That would be horrible."

"No kidding. . .I wouldn't EVER be able to go to a bar or club." Cassidy made a face and Alex did as well.

"Now _that_ would _suck_." She said and then chuckled. "It would suck major time too when doing it."

"Oh god, I would have stayed a virgin for the rest of my life! Could you imagine?" Cassidy gave a mock shutter of fear and the two friends proceeded to poke fun at being a 'true' telepath, both the advantages and disadvantages of being one.


	6. This is awkward

**Chapter five: **

Eddie had done this a few times over the years, meeting the parents of who ever he was going out with. For some reason parents with daughters seemed a bit more overprotective then those who had sons. Most of the time. Even Brock's other had been a little protective over its spawn.

At least, up until Carnage tried to take Venom's kill (that annoying bug Spiderman) as well as sap the life out of his love interest at the time AND eat her.

About that time Venom more or less disowned his spawn and tried to kill him. . .to bad the infuriating (and deadly) pup had slinked off into the sewer ways of New York. Venom had no problem with those under ground tunnels, the symbiot well able to block off its host's sense of smell from the out side world, but honestly, it _was_ the _sewers_ for god's sake.

Even with an alien symbiote bonded to him, Eddie still had his pride. That was the one of the VERY few things he had in common with that bug, both of them didn't favor the sewers.

But that WAS beside the point.

Cassidy and Cayce decided that they would take Eddie to meet their mother and father.

Needless to say Brock was a bit nervous because he remembered Cassidy saying once she was taking care of (raising) her younger sister do to the fact then their parents had died.

Talk about awkward.

Eddie couldn't figure out how to ask nicely what the hell she meant by him meeting her parents. So he just went along with it. That at least seemed to be safe to do.

The buss ride out of town was nice, though because Cayce had long since decided that she liked Eddie she sat on his lap most of the time. The man suspected it was really because the girl wanted to look out the window. Eddie liked the kid too, so did his other; it seemed to be fascinated by her almost bondless energy and complete innocence. But both liked the older of the two sisters far more, and for different reasons. . .

Damn those House Rules. . .

"AH! This is our stop!" Cassidy yelped coming out of the almost trance like state she had been in for a minute as she reinforced her mental shields.

Eddie reached up and pulled the cored that let the diver know they wanted off.

"Ummm. . .where are we?" he asked a few minutes later as they walked into what looked like a park at first before Brock zeroed in on the tombstones.

"The cemetery!"

"Well, yeah, but _why?_"

"Mommy and daddy are here." Cayce butted into the conversion, holding a bundle of lilies in her arms.

"We come here once a month at lest." Cassidy smiled up at Eddie, projecting an easy going air around her that was nice, he's other liked it and said so. "Come on, it's okay." The mutant added taking Brock's hand and pulled him to a nice looking hill.

If it wasn't for the gravestones all over, this place would make a lovely park, even had a good view of city of Los Angeles. Cassidy smiled, sensing his slight nervousness and did her best to smooth it out with out intruding or crossing any lines. It seemed to work.

"Here." The empathy gave the man's hand a small squeeze as they stopped in font of two grave markers. "Eddie, meet our mom and da, Ericka and Tony."

"I brought lils!" Cayce said as she proudly held the flowers up.

"Lilies." Cassidy corrected as she knelt by her sister, "And Mom says she _loves_ them Sissy. Even Da likes them!" She hugged her sister, as she did so she slipped one blossom out of the bunch. Cayce beamed and put half of the bunch on their mother's gave and the other half on their fathers.

"I love ya mommy, I love ya da!" the girl said.

Cassidy smiled, and handed her the extra lily, "Here go put this on Mr. Thomson's marker." She gave her sister a push and the girl ran over to another grave. Then the empathy grinned at Eddie, "Well just don't stand there, say hi!"

"Err. . .hi?" he tried.

"Not at me." Cassidy came over to stand beside the man and addressed the two graves, "Mom, Da, this is Eddie." The woman gave him a playful look.

"Hello," Eddie tried again, playing along.

"Dad says you worried about something." Cassidy said after a pause looking up.

"I guess Mr. McConnell is right." Eddie said, it was true, he was worried about something. Namely how on Earth he could reveal his other without scaring off his new found love interest.

"Da never liked being called that, said it made him sound old." Cassidy giggled at the memory.

"Oh," Brock smiled and faced the grave, "I'm sorry Tony, didn't know."

"He says its okay."

"Good."

"Da wants to know if you're worried about a girl." Cassidy smiled up at him. He shrugged, thinking of what to say. The woman glanced at her mother's grave, "Mom wants to know if you're worried about a guy."

Eddie choked and Cassidy laughed, "No, _no._ I'm _not._"

"She has a funky sense of humor." The empathy grinned as Eddie faced her. She blinked up at him, "Come on Eddie, something has been bugging you for awhile now." She reached for his hand, "I've been picking up on it for a month or so. Come on baby, what's wrong?"

Brock sighed shifting and grasped Cassidy's hands, "It's. . .gah, I don't know." He shook his head, "There's this part of me. . .I just. . ." he paused thinking, "I don't want to scare you away because of what I am Cassy."

"Eddie," Cassidy gave a faint smile, "I'm a mutant who's raising her kid sister on my own. That and I've lived in downtown LA all my life. Ya ain't getting rid of me easily." Then she added, "Besides, I like having a personal body guard."

Eddie gave a snort of laughter as he wrapped his arms around the woman, smiling when she propped her arms on his shoulders. "I know." _We know. _

_We like protecting our love._ The symbiot added in the back of its host's mind.

"Mommy says the House Rules are now the Hill Rules." Cayce said after coming back and looking at her mother's grave marker. Startled, Cassidy and Eddie looked down at the girl, at each other then down at the two graves, blinking. Cassidy gave an odd sound and thumped her head on Brock's chest.

"Oh god, I really wonder sometimes. . ." she muttered.

"That's just creepy." Eddie blinked again, he understood the reason for the House Rules, but he _knew_ that Cayce didn't, she was far too young. It was. . ._creepy_.

"Lets go get some ice cream before going home huh?" Cassidy offered, of course Cayce promptly agreed. Eddie nodded as well, but kept one arm around the empathy on the way back. When the younger girl started to trot in order to keep up with the other two, who had longer strides, Brock stooped and effortlessly lifted Cayce up to his shoulders.

"Come on kiddo, free ride." He smiled.

**_……………………………………………………… _**

The largest room of the upstairs of the warehouse apartment was dark. Only a dim light from an out side streetlamp and two digital clocks lit a few patches of floor. The main window in the kitchen, dinning and living room was slightly ajar letting a trickle of air flow through.

A black claw slid into the gap and as quietly as possible Venom worked the window open again for the second time that night. The first having been when he snuck out for a short patrol around the city.

As he stepped inside, the symbiote's form decreased and pulled away from the head and face of its host. Eddie blinked rapidly and ran his talons though his damp hair, mindful not to make any noise. Blue eyes flicked to the main bed room, but no moment came from the half open door that would give away that one of the two sisters were awake.

_They seem to be sleeping still._ The voice of Eddie's other said in the back of his mind and he reserved an impression of deep sleep.

"Good." The man muttered, rubbing the back of his neck to work out a small kink there. Eddie was also careful not to hurt himself with the claws he still had, the symbiote was in it's form-fitting 'mode,' covering all but his head yet Eddie still look like a man. Just one in a black suit with a white spider on the chest and back, now dimmed to a dull gray shade.

Eddie was mildly proud that he hadn't nicked himself on his talon in some time. But every now and again. . .you just don't pay attention until you're pricked.

Reaching out the man closed the window again before stepping back and sighing. He smiled as an image that was given to him by his other.

". . .Eddie?" A sleepy voice asked a moment before a yawn.

Turning on his heel the man blinked at Cassidy. In the back of his mind the Symbiote looked through his eyes and stared, if it was fully out it would have started to drool. . .again. The woman was only in a tangtop and underwear, showing off her long legs. Here green eyes were half closed and she yawned again.

"What are ya doin' up?" Cassidy asked from behind her hand.

"Nothing," Eddie said, ordering his symbiote to become all back and try to withdraw the claws. "We. . ._I_ couldn't sleep, don't worry Cassy. Go back to bed."

"'Can't," the empathy muttered as she turned and headed to the bathroom, "Gotta go."

"Okay." Chuckling Eddie was glad that his girlfriend wasn't even half awake. The symbiote rippled over him before pulling back into the man as well as reshaping part of it's self so Eddie was in boxers and a t-shirt.

The toilet flushed and a few moments latter and Cassidy wondered back out into the kitchen/livingroom with another yawn. She spotted Eddie again and smiled as he came over to wrap an arm around her middle.

"Come on, lets go back to bed," Eddie said and gave a mock-yawn himself. A happy murmur was all Cassidy was able to do, her mind wanting to sleep again after a near empathic overload the day before.


	7. Beware the Viod of the mind

**Chapter Six: **

The coffee shop was busy to say the very least. The crowd was moving in the door to the counter and back out again as soon as they had their shot of caffeine. Other people who weren't in a mad rush, sat back to watch the flow with clear amusement.

The baristas behind the counter seemed to be in a full blown sugar rush, running back and forth from the registers to the espresso machines and back again.

"Double co-bend!"

"Nicky! We need some more blueberry muffins up here!"

"Coming up!"

"Alex, swap with me, quick!"

"ACK!"

"NICKY!"

"What?"

"The Soy foam is ALIVE!"

Needless to say, this was going to be a damn interesting day.

Eddie had only had a briefest of glimpses of his girl friend as she literally ran past him and Cayce with a blurted "Hey Eddie, can't talk the place is a mad house and I got a _massive_ head ache and could you watch Cayce for the rest of the day and NICK! Where did you leave those damn Muffins?!?"

The tall man stooped to pick up the younger of the two McConnell sisters, the girl grabbing onto Brock's shirt to stay balanced. The man blinked and watched as Cassidy ran passed again this time holding three trays of assorted muffins and other baked goods.

Wait, was that foam in her hair?

Shaking his head Eddie smiled down at Cayce, "Looks like we can go to the park after all kiddo."

"Yippy!" the girl beamed and hugged the man, "Tank ya Eddie."

The man chuckled and glanced back at the mayhem and shook his head before going out the back door. Perhaps, if he had been paying better attention Eddie would have noticed how two people were eyeing him.

* * *

There was almost no warning this time. One minute Cassidy was turning a smile on the rather gruff looking man and a red head that was almost two heads taller them her complain. The next thing the mutant knew she was clutching her head as lances of red hot pain seem to be stabbing at her mind.

"Cassy?!"

Dimly, Cassidy was aware of Alex dropping a cup and rushing over. Somewhere someone was asking something about bagels a half a second before other voices blended together. Her own nails were digging into her scalp as she both clenched and bared her teeth.

"Cassidy!"

"Is she alright?"

"Sir please move back…"

"Hey Bub I-"

" Logan don't-"

"Nicky! Help!"

"Cassy?!"

Someone, Nicky or Alex, Cassidy didn't know but someone had turned her around, away from the counter and into the back. At the same time making sure no one saw the orange shine that was forming over the empath's normally bright green eyes.

"Cassy? Come on, Cassidy, look at me." Alex put herself in front of the mutant once there were two closed doors behind them and the costumers. Reaching up the dark skinned woman put her hands on her friend's squeezing slightly. "Cassidy, don't do this, come on sister you can keep the lid on…"

"_It hurts_…" Cassidy got out, managing to look at her best friend for a moment before her eyes started to turn a solid, glowing orange. Her voice taking on an odd quality, almost byut not quite echoing, "_There too many...Too much...Oh god it hurts! It hurts!_"

One of the doors to the main flour brushed open and two people came in. One a tall red haired woman and a shorter man, but there was no drought this guy could kick anyone's rear end anywhere and back again.

"Hey you can't be...!" Nicky started to stand up but couldn't with out letting his friend drop to the ground.

"Nicky!" Alex called in rising panic that was both hers and not hers. "Nicky it's starting! She can't control it!"

The woman rushed forward, elbowing her way closer to the younger woman that was half collapsed. Reaching out she put her hands on either side of Cassidy's face, fingers on her temples. She didn't seem to have notice the other two surging forward and latching onto their friend.

The older man, Logan, blinked as 'Nicky' dropped to his knees, wrapping his slim arms around the mutant's chest and pressing his head against the back of her neck. At the same time the other Barista did the same but from the front. Both tensing up, knowing perfectly well that they were about to get the full force of an empathic attack and in a show of pure loyalty, both were more then ready to do so in order to keep the secret of their friend's mutation.

_It hurts it hurts it hurts it hurts it hurts it hurts oh god why does it HURT?! _

-_Cassidy!_-

The empath 'looked' up as she felt another mind that most defiantly wasn't her sister come dangerously close. The figure was in the metal plain, not just a distinctive patter of colors and patterns of emotions that each person had. But an actual figure, a _person_…

-_Cassidy, my name is Jean, let me help you._-

Hearing a voice was so different that an emotion….Cassidy just stared as everything blended together and warped to her.

All at once, _everything_, images, memory, pain, and both familiar and alien emotions plunged into a complete and utter darkness…A void that she had seen only twice before, and just as before the woman was found her self looking down into it.

She was balancing at the very edge of oblivion. If she fell it would trigger a self destruction that would not only claim her life but any of those who were around her at the time.

Cassidy screamed, the sound being swallowed up before it left her mouth.

* * *

The warmth of a small body laying next to her was the first thing Cassidy was aware of. The woman drifted on that find line that separated sleep from wakefulness for a time. She didn't want to wake up, but didn't quite want to go back into the blackness of sleep either. In this state she could still feel the blend of emotions that signaled that her baby sister was with her.

Her _baby_ sister...

Slowly, her mind drifted back into the depths of her own mind, yet not nearly as deep. Only far enough to fall into a half dream, half memory of years ago, when both Cassidy and Cayce's parents were alive.

Cassidy was almost six years younger, leaning on her father's broad chest, listening to him sing with some old Eagles song as her mother gently rocked Cayce into sleep. Cassidy's own green eyes were slowly closing as she tuned her empathy to blend with her family as they enjoys a evening together.

"Cassidy?" A slightly deep, male voice asked.

The empath blinked her eyes open to stare into a set of blue ones. For a long time she just stared, still half in her pleasant dream. She was about to go back to said dream when she suddenly realized who she was looking at. Not aware of how week she felt, Cassidy shifted slightly to reach out.

She smiled when the man took her hand in his.

"Eddie…"

"Shhh, we're here our love. We won't let anything hurt you." Broke said softly, and brushed a lock of light brown hair out of the woman's face, "Rest."

Cassidy was more then willing to obey, but just as she was about to drop fully into unconsciousness again…She was able to pick up on _two_ separate reading from the man.

* * *

Queen's Note: I'm baaaaaaa_aaaaaaaaaack..._


	8. It's coming

**Chapter Seven:**

Jean Grey, a tall, slender, red head paused one the side walk as she sensed her companion. The woman raised a hand to pinch the bridge of her nose before sending out a semi-long range sweep of her telepathic gifts, easily pinpointing Logan.

It really didn't surprise her that the shorter man had tagged along despite her telling him not to. She knew that she along would be less threatening then both her and Logan, or just Logan…The man didn't always have the best people skills. Add to that the mutant she helped last week not only was with the man that hosted the alien Venom symbiot, but an empath.

The woman understood Logan's distrust, he having gone up against Venom a few times, but that same distrust and hostility would easily be picked up by the empath.

Jean mused over the differences between 'normal' telepaths such as herself and her mentor, and empaths like this Cassidy McConnell. Both women had gifts that dealt with the mind, though it was… It was like two dialects of a language, the separate dialects having some similarities but again: different.

Telepaths have it easier, Jean thought, she knew she that. Jean could hear and see words and images of others (granted sometimes it was completely unintentional like when she was just starting out). Cassidy, from what she could tell, saw emotions in 'colors,' a complicated mix and bled that Jan could only blink at.

Jean shook her head before focusing on Logan again and linked with his mind, it was a minor strand of thought. _If you're insisting on fallowing at least don't get closer than where I'm at. She'll recognize you if you get with in range._

_I don't like._ She picked up on the rough mental voice of Logan, and she could imagine the man stuffing his fists into the pockets of his leather jacket as he narrowed his eyes at her back. ("You know you know someone too well when…")_ Venom ain't someone ya take lightly Jean._

_I know,_ Jean was careful not to project the echo of her rolling her eyes through the small link, _But Eddie also didn't recognized you. He was too worried over Cassidy I think._

_I don't like it._ Logan repeated and somehow managed a metal growl that Jean had never head anyone else come close to doing. Only Logan…

_Trust me Logan,_ Jean sent adding her metal equivalent of a pout as she stopped at a cross walk. The woman smiled as she picked up on lower, grumbling thoughts and knew the grumbles were verbal as well.

She loved being a woman, and the fact that she knew how to get on Logan's softer side where here couldn't say no. Jubilee had that ability as well…

The light changed and Jean started off, moving the metal link into a 'stand by' like state, it joined the lower level in her thoughts. It took almost another block into the warehouse and storehouse districted for the woman to realize that her steps were much lighter than normal. Even a bit of a bounce to them as she lased her fingers behind her back.

Jean was in a really good mood, better than this morning. Better than fifteen minutes ago…

Ah, empath vs. telepath. Jean could pick up on projection easier than normal humans and mutants so she was being effected by the empath's projected field. Jean knew that she was reflecting Cassidy's mood, probable everyone near by would be…But the woman didn't mind.

Who would?

It was quite pleasant.

Maybe she should get Logan to come a bit closer…Jean wondered if this would help his general mood…

The woman stopped short of her intended door to knock on as she, _quite unwillingly_, picked up on two (_three_? Oh right the symbiot) minds and what was going on in the apartment above the warehouse. With out hesitation, or braking her stride or pose, Jean spun on her right heal and came back the way she came.

Face flushed, Jena remembered one of the larger drawbacks of being a telepath. She was well past here adolescent years, but it made it no less embarrassing when she inadvertently stumbled on a couple.

_So much for the House Rules,_ Jean thought, though she didn't know where she picked that up from.

_"Cass!"_

"Casssssiiii!"

"ACK!" Cassidy rolled her eyes from where she had been tackled by her two best friends before fiercely hugging Alex and Nick back and openly showing her emotions of how glad she was that they were okay and well. "Alright get off me! Only sissy can keep up the clingy-ness and I want to get back to work,"

Alex rolled her eyes and blew some of her thinly braided hair out of her face. "You are impossible. You have a metal earthquake, you have a hang over and you get right back into work with out taking advantage of paid sick leave."

"Apparently we didn't train each other right." Nick laughed as he got up first and helped his friends up. "Oh, by the way Cass, your savior is here."

"What?" Cassidy quirked an eyebrow up as she brushed herself off, partly wondering when the floor got a slight coat of flower. Second thought she didn't want to know, she knew the chaos that this place had even before it officially opened.

"That Dr. Grey, Um, Jean I think she said her name was." Alex jerked her thumb at the closed doors that led to the part of the coffee house that hosted the customers.

Cassidy hesitated, looking at the closed doors warily and suddenly wished Eddie hadn't left to pick up her sister already.

"I think its okay," Nick said seeing his friend's look as well as picking up echoes of her feelings. Having lived around the empath for well over ten years he and Alex both knew how to pick up on things.

"But she knows…"

"Yeah and you have a horrible memory after those metal 'quakes." Alex lightly thrwhapped Cassidy in the side of the head, "That's _Dr. Jean Grey_…! The lady who's been helping…you know, in the white house or what not."

"Congress," Nick corrected and ducked a harder whack.

"Same difference," the Jamaican snorted.

"Either way," the young man said, rubbing his arm where he hadn't gotten out of the way of Alex's smack, "I think she wants to talk."

"Well it'll have to wait for brake and after the regulars get done fusing." Cassidy sighed, knowing what was coming as she pulled on her apron.

"I saw her with the new Dean Koonz book." Nick chuckled, "She seemed pretty into it."

Cassidy smiled and stretched, some of her joins popping as she did so. "Okay, let the mobbing from the regulars commence and get it over with."

* * *

"Curser sized iced mocha."

Jean blinked and pulled herself from the intensity of her book that had been surprisingly good at drawing the reader (her) into it. The red head woman looked up at the drink that was being offered to her, and than looked beyond it to who was holding the clear plastic cup.

Cassidy smiled and blew some of her light brown bangs out of her face and smiled, "Mind if I sit?" she tilted her head at the empty chair across from the taller woman.

"No, not at all," Jean slipped a clean napkin into her book as an improvised page marker. "Thank you." She added as she excepted the offered ice coffee.

"No problem." Cassidy smiled as she stirred her own drink, making the ice clink against each other. "Hey, um...Thanks about before." Green eyes looked up from the cup in hand, "I didn't want to hurt anyone…"

"But sometimes it's hard to control it." Jean smiled warmly and with complete understanding, "I know, I've had some slip ups with my own gifts."

Cassidy glanced around but there was hardly anyone in the coffee shop at the time being. "So I guess that means you know…"

"Its okay," The telepath reassured as she took a sip of her drink, "No one else knows that didn't."

Cassidy shifted and decided to go with the old, classic McConnell blunt tactic. "What do you want? Jacky and Alex said you wanted to talk and I can tell you want something." She frowned.

"I just wanted to make sure you were alright." Jean smiled but paused as she saw the look was getting.

"No offence Dr. Grey," Cassidy frowned, "But just because I'm not a telepath doesn't mean I can't read people. You're use to shielding your thoughts I'm guessing, but not your emotions. And those are _my_ specialty." The younger woman leaned back and crossed her arms.

Jean had to think about that for a minute and decided that Cassidy was not only had a point but was also right. She did have the advantage of being able to 'decode' straight emotions.

Best to be truthful!

"I represent a school that specializes in helping people like you and I, those with gifts." Jean started.

"You mean mutants." Alex said coming up to the two, she brushed her tight braids out of her face and crossed her arms.

Jean blinked and looked quickly at the elderly woman on the other side of the room.

"Don't worry, Kathy has her hearing aid out. She can barley hear with it." Alex said shifting into a hip shot. "So what about this school thing?"

"We're long out of high school and doing good in collage." Cassidy was still frowning.

"Education is only part of it," Jean said, "We also help others master their gifts."

"And…?" Both Alex and Cassidy prompted at the same time, glancing at one another before returning their gazes to the telepath.

Jean pulled a card out from her pocket and handed it to Cassidy, "If you ever need any help, or would like to enroll you sister where she can be safe."

"Cayce _is_ safe." Cassidy narrowed her eyes as a few alarm bells went off in the back of her mind and a spike of protectiveness was projected.

The red head lifted her hands up, "If you want to or not. You can email the address on the card for more information." Jean stood up, knowing that she was going to have to go about this slowly. "I have to meet someone, just think it over." She smiled and left.

"…I got the impression that she was the kid in school that got just about all the boys and everything else?" Alex asked as she picked up the iced mocha that was left behind. "Cass, you're projecting a lot." She added.

"Huh?" Cassidy blinked as she looked up from almost glaring at the card in her hand. She didn't like the idea of someone thinking she couldn't take care of and protect her little sister. "Sorry Alex," She took a few deep breaths and calmed herself down as well as smooth out the atmosphere that she had been unknowingly mixing it up.

"I know what you need!" Alex said pulling her friend up, "One of Nick's muffins and my too watch Casey."

Cassidy tilted her head as she picked up the plotting mood of her friend. "Why…?"

"Because ya need a night with Eddie!" Alex giggled, "And brake those House Rules."

"We kind of already did…"

"I mean _again._" Alex sighed and slapped her friend up side the head.

"Oh…ooooooo…."

"That's my girl!"

Who would know the next night would lead to an alien symbiote named Venom?

* * *

Queen's note: Not overly long but that where this chapter wanted to end. By god I want to write out Venom and Cassidy togather so that's what I'm going to do! But since it's late and I have to get up early tomarrow I'm writting it by hand first. But I want the next chapter to add to and after the prolouge! XD

By the way, nice _real_ reviews are wanted. Though most people who have been nice enough to review this story are very good! Thank you.

Cheers,  
Icy


	9. OMG A CHAPTER!

**Chapter Eight:**

"Eddie!" Casey squealed when she was lifted up and spun around after she tackled the man's leg. The girl flung her arms around his neck and gave him a big kiss on the cheek that only a child could give.

"Hey kiddo!" Brock laughed as he returned the hug he was getting.

"Dance wit us!" Casey said, tugging on the man's shirt collar before squirming free and pulling him to where her older sister Cassidy and her 'aunty' Alex where dancing to rock songs that were older than any of them.

"Hi Eddie," Alex smiled as she offered a hand to Casey for the girl to dance with her. Thus it gave Brock a chance to steal a kiss from Cassidy as he came up behind her and wrapped his arms around the empath's middle.

Giggling as she was half poked, half tickled Cassidy twisted around and hocked her hands around the back of Eddie's neck before giving him a real kiss, "Hello Mister Brock!" She grinned, body still moving in time with the music, though not like she had just been or like Ale and Casey were still doing.

"You're just having a party here aren't you?" Eddie laughed as he let himself join in, with a little pestering from the three girls. In the back of his mind, Brock could feel his other half come out of it's napping like state and take interest in what its host was doing. He could just imagine Venom cocking his head to one side before he started to drool at the sight of the two older women in their mini shorts and tank tops.

"Just about!" Alex grinned, brushing her dreadlocks out of her face with her right hand and letting Cassidy use her left to twirl around, "Cass might get a promotion!"

"Yeah!" The young girl cheered, "We can have tacos more!"

"Really?"

"Yes!" Cassidy traded places with her little sister who danced with the lack of skill only the very young could do and still be dancing.

The woman threw her arms around Brock's neck and planted a kiss that had both her sister and Alex letting out a coursed, "Awwwwwwwwwww!"

Eddie's eyes widened slightly before he leaned forward and took full advantage of the kiss as well as returning it. He picked Cassidy up and in the back of his head the symbiote let out a spike of gleeful emotion. Cassidy smiled, having mistaken it for Brock's feeling.

"What did I do to get that?" the man asked pulling his head back a little.

"Are you complaining?"

Eddie laughed and spun Cassidy around, "Oh hell no I'm not!"

"TAG!" Casey yelled twisting around and holding her hands up with wide eyes. Cassidy and Alex busted out laughing as Brock slapped his face, realizing his slip up.

"Kid if I had half the talent you did then I'd be rich." The man shook his head as he put Cassidy down and pulled his wallet out of a back pocket to hand over the promised dollar. Casey promptly squalled in delight, making the two older women shift position to see what she was given.

"Eddie..." Casey looked over at him, looking like she could decide on being grateful or disappointed at him.

"You are spoiling this kid," Alex put in as she brushed her dreadlocks out of her face, kneeling so the girl could show off her new ten dollar bill.

"Of coarse I am," Eddie grinned, "Someone has to."

"She gets enough of that." Cassidy shook her head.

"No I don't." Casey giggled and ran off to her room, leaving her sister to gape as Alex and Brock almost cackled at her audacity.

"You _imp!_ Get back here!"

"Eeeeeeeeeee! Nooooo!"

Still grinning Eddie turned to Alex, rubbing his left shoulder as if there was a pain there, "Hey, Alex, Can I ask you-"

The dark skinned woman smiled up at him and winked, "I can watch Casey to night only under the condition you take Cassy somewhere nice."

Brock grinned and held out his hand, trying not to pay attention to the playful screams on the first story of the warehouse, "Deal." They shook on it before going downstairs and joined into the game that was like reverse-tag.

Eddie's mock roars counter-pointing the girls' gleeful shrieks for another hour until thirst drove them upstairs. After a half an hour of talk the group left to meet James at the closes park. The joys of no one having a car to their name meant that they had to walk there. Brock didn't mind, even though he had to carry Casey for the last half of the hour and a half walk, it was good exercise with out having to wait to going on patrol late at night.

It also didn't hurt that both Cassidy and Alex were on either side of him the whole trip.

Hey, Cassidy may be his girl, but he was still a man who didn't mind the pleasure of being in the company of two very attractive women. Not drop dead modals but more than enough to make him happy.

The empath rolled her eyes and leaned back to exchange a look with Alex, as well as passing a wordless, semi complex mix of feelings to her of what she was picking up.

Brock blinked and looked from one to the other in confusion when the two started giggling for no apparent reason.

__________________________________________________

Eddie took no shame what so ever as he closed his eyes partly and just _enjoyed_ the feeling of a woman in his arms. There really wasn't anything like it he concluded, to have someone _trust_ you so completely.

And Cassidy did, she wasn't hiding it at all. What reason should she? She felt safe, her eyes half lidded and her empathy lacing with Brock.

"Cassidy?" Eddie shifted and looked down. They were back to chest with Cassidy's hands resting on his that were clasped over her stomach.

"Hmm?"

"...I..." Brock stopped and took a deep breath and shifted his gaze to look out the window of the warehouse apartment. One he had slipped out of several times.

Cassidy twisted around in the man's arms and reached up to turn his head down so their eyes met, green looking into blue. "What is it?"

Eddie stared at his girl..._his girl_. It had been a long time since he could say that he had a girlfriend, a real one. "Cass' I think I need to tell you something."

"Does it look like I'm going any where?" Cassidy poked a bicep and reserved a chuckle in response.

"I hope not," Brock took a deep breath and said with out beating around the bush since he knew Cassidy didn't like it when people did that, "I...I'm Venom."

Cassidy blinked a few times, "Eh?"

Of all the responses that wasn't one Eddie was expecting. "I'm Venom Cassidy." He repeated.

Blank look from a lack of understanding.

Oh right, Cassidy only 'watched' the news when waiting for the coffee pot and tended to sleep though most of it when it came down to it.

"You know the creature that's been around for several months?" Eddie asked and glanced around for paper but there was none. Of corse.

"Yeah..." Cassidy frowned, then it deepened as she leaned back to give the man a searching look.

Brock smiled a small smile, "I'll explain if you'll let me."

Cassidy backed up and Eddie let go of her. She sharpened the focus of her empathic abilities and really, truly 'looked' deeply at the underlying, and complex colors that were always under Brock's feelings and emotions.

Something reached back and 'touched' her.

Cassidy jumped, "What the hell?!" her green eyes looked back at Eddie, wanting an explanation.


	10. just leave the door alone

**Chapter Nine:**

"_Our other half was right, we won't hurt you our love._"

Our love.

Love.

God, if she wasn't an empath Cassidy would have never believed that. But it was true, a double... well, not an echo. It was stronger then that but came from both man and the symbiote.

It was so complicated now that said symbiote wasn't shielding the connection with its host. So much twined 'cords' that were in many 'colors' and different shades of those colors. At first glance it was all crisscrossed and almost a mess, but it was really just over lapping layers that half hid deep scars that were dark grey on black.

Cassidy wasn't used to help in healing old things, but she had tried as best as she could. But the feeling of the symbiote's mind, and Eddie's as well, was distracting.

Twisting, moving darkness…that's what it seemed like, what it looked like in the mind's eye: like black velvet on black silk. Eddie was different the colors of his emotions had more earthy tones of brown and red-ish tan like the layers in sandstone.

It was amazing, and the complexity where human and alien met, overlapped or meshed was… was… wonderfully different. Some of the twined threads were knotted and it took some effort to untwist them. After four knots were 'smoothed' out there was a flooding of relief and easing of pain.

Cassidy could feel the impression of two different minds now in distinctive patterns. But she couldn't feel her own body, at least not until the blackness vanished with a loud knocking that was more banging.

With a un-lady like snort and sound that would have been a word at any other time, Cassidy sat up. Green eyes blinked bleary in confusion and disorientation. A deeper grunt came from under the pillow to her left, signaling that Edie was feeling much the same about being woken up.

Had that been a dream?

No...

_Bang! Bang!_

Realizing it was the 'front door' the woman vaulted off the bed. Well, she tried to, but in her caffeine deprived coordination she fell off the bed. It didn't help that it felt like she had one hell of a hang over to boot.

"What?" Eddie's voiced asked, seeming just as sleepy and confused. Both humans had been through an… interesting night that neither could not now truly recall it all. It was a mix of colors rather then true images, for that's how an empath's imagery worked. Telepaths could formed words and images that were memories or imagined things to represent of thoughts and the like. Empaths saw a network of colors, and shades of those colors that were felt as much as 'seen' with the mind's eye. So when empaths and telepaths met it was like two different languages.

"Oumph, ow, damn it where's…" Cassidy fumbled around. She pulled on the nearest shirt that was somewhat too big, thus probably not hers, and hopped into a pair of tight shorts from the corner that didn't make it into the laundry bin before staggering out of the room.

Behind there was a thump as Eddie fell out of the bed as well and groped around blindly for his jeans. The man stood, hopping from one foot to the other almost like Cassidy had done while he put on his socks before spotting his pants. Where did his shirt go?

_Bang! Bang!_

Dark blue eyes blinked and narrowed at the sound. Pulling on his own jeans the man fallowed the path Cassidy took down stairs to the storage warehouse below. Although, his path was more of straight line then his girl's had been, he spotted her just as she opened the small door to the pre dawn lit street.

"_Cassidy!_" Brock, no, _Venom_ lunged forward at the same time the other bonded symbiote pair did, colored mostly in shades of red with shifting stripes of black and pale white eye patches. He's tendril, pointed and sharp, pierced flesh and curled, yanking the now wide awake and more then started woman closer to him where he wrapped his other arm around her.

Of _all_ the things that could have possibly happen to his new found 'peace.' Of all the _people_ that could have came to annoy him, _them_ here on the other side of the continent...! Why on this green earth did it have to be _him?!_

The wide, fang filled grin was unmistakable. As well as the 'scent' that each symbiote had and could only be 'smelt' by another. The voice was just the same: unmistakably high and with that distinct insane screech.

"_A-HAH! So you _have_ been hiding here...Dad!_" Carnage nearly shrieked with glee, leaping backwards to avoid the powerful black claws of Venom. Hanging onto his unexpected prize with his hands and the symbiote tendrils alike.

"**_Let her go, runt of a spawn..._**" Venom hissed half on all fours as he stalked forward before standing up at his full size, towering. With each step the black being took he grew, his size expanding from the tall man to the massive form that was _Venom_.

"_Shinny,_" Carnage said hopping away again, holding firm to his bleeding hostage. "_Nice legs, yummy looking-_" Then he stopped, all waving tendrils freezing as if some divine being had hit a pause button on Carnage's life and body.

Unexpectedly Venom paused too, sensing the same thing. Only from his front angle he could see both Carnage and Cassidy. It gave him, them for both symbiote and human had a clear view of the mutant's eyes that had glazed over. Not from the pain of the tendril spike in her side.

Neither Venom, nor Brock, had seen Cassidy use her empathic ability in that automatic, self defense attack she had. The glaze over the eyes made them look orange, and she reached out to grab any and all of the thousands of emotions that were ample in any city. More so in one that was the size Los Angelus was. Then all of that was 'slammed' into this new symbiote pair that was so well bonded together that they were one mind.

But that kind of mental assault, being so unexpected and Carnage had not mental shields against an attack like this. Later on the amazing part would be noted that it wasn't a wild attack, so that Venom wasn't affected by it. The bigger, not to mention older, pair charged forward with all the grace of a freight train. Black talons dug in past the red symbiote's skin and flesh to the man underneath, Carnage had never had the sense to make sure there was a thick layer of the symbiote protecting the venerable human flesh.

Venom wanted to bite down but he watched as the younger symbiote let go of Cassidy to clutch at his head, shrieking incoherently. Then more so and he was hefted up and thrown down the street. Red flailing tendrils showing where he landed.

"**_Cassidy..._**" Venom shifted, changing until he wasn't the hulking mass of fangs and bulging muscles. It was Eddie's body covered with the symbiote up to his neck, his other pulling away from his face as he turned his attention down to the young woman. The symbiote screamed in furry in the back of his mind but Brock stubbornly held onto control as he pressed one hand on the bleeding wound. Carnage had stabbed and hocked it to hold into her.

The woman gasped, at the pain and at the flood of emotions, her grip on her power wavering. She had never kept up at this level for so long. Easing the emotions in the Java House was more of an underlying thing that took no thought, and it had taken years for Cassidy to make a block for herself to keep projecting her own emotions as well as being so easily effected by others. Pain, her _own_ pain spiked and the attack failed.

"Cass? Hey," Brock smiled, and then felt the wave of mixed emotions in a pattern. His other understood before he did and Venom turned back around to block the strike of a hyper extended tendril. The sharpened end bit down a few inches into the black symbiote flesh, but the human arm was safe. "**_We'll tare you apart-_**"

"_Nasty...NASTY spit-fire!_" Carnage screamed, like a child. He was really one, in a strange as well as deranged sort of way. "_That hurt! It hurt!_"

"_Good!_" Cassidy yelled, pushing up onto one elbow partly and reaching out with her other hand. It looked like she was reaching for help at first, but her eyes darkened a shade before narrowing as the empath slammed her own pain into the red colored symbiote pair. Seeing emotions more then what was really around her, so Cassidy knew exactly were each person was in a ten block radius, but not what was right in front of her. Essentially the woman was visually blinded. It was the price the empath had to pay when she truly used her gift to manipulate those living around her, not just influence.

One by one Cassidy's mental shields, hundreds of them that had been made over the years (since she was six years old) slid away. The empath opening herself up to all around her, reaching out to grab what she could –at the same time giving that dark pool that was Venom a wide birth so not to hurt him. It was considerably harder to aim those emotions at Carnage then one would think, the temptation to divert and let herself be drown in it all was all to strong. All she had to do was let go of her inner shields...

Pain, her own pain pushed through the haze and Cassidy refocused.

The attack worked, but lashed back. It was the draw back of having her main shields down, Cassidy felt what she just did to the insane symbiote pair.

True empaths that had real power behind them were rarely considered mean or cruel people for this vary reason. If they were the empath in question would feel the pain of their 'victim' two fold, unlike telepaths they just couldn't block themselves and manipulate at the same time. So as a result empaths kept their shields up, sometimes influencing those around them but never controlling the emotions. The most powerful often secluding themselves away from the grater population in favor of only family or a small group of tightly knitted friends.

Venom staggered, not completely excluded as he shook his head, grasping it in his talons. The big symbiote pair moved not unlike a drunk in all honestly as the symbiote itself forced itself between the assault and it's host mind. At the same time Brock was attempting to get more control over their shared body.

Venom shook his head as he became aware of an unexpected advantage of having two minds in one body. Baring his fangs the powerhouse stalked with all the intent of a super predator that just discovered his nest had been invaded and said invader was still there. He lifted his arms one fist in the other hand as he loomed over his writhing spawn. As if in a dramatic reaction to what he was about to do the sky had darkened and a thundered head formed in scant seconds.

The black symbiote pair took a step back away from Carnage, head swiveling around as Brock (who wasn't as single minded as his other) was distracted. Sensing two other distinctive minds with mental gifts, only he 'heard' faint whispers of actually voices, meaning telepaths...?

The lightning bolt slammed down like judgment above.

Carnage shrieked in a new pitch, the deeper roar of Venom making a nice counterpoint as he was burned as well.

Still connected to the red symbiote, Cassidy's back arched. Mouth opening in a soundless scream to echo that which was coming from Carnage, her eyes lost that orange glaze.

The empath's heart stopped as black booted feet thudded down near her.

* * *

Queen's note: ……….(Fleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees!) I will say that no, Cass' isn't dead, you're heart can stop and be restarted.


End file.
